Are you wondering what 8km to miles comes out to? If so, welcome to RunDreamAchieve. I think you have arrived at the right website. 8 kilometers comes out to 4.96 miles. So, just shy of the 5-mile distance. The 8k is commonly run in college cross-country races here in the united States of America. It is also one of the most popular road race distances.
My personal best for 8k is 24:32 that I ran at the 1998 Notre Dame cross-country championships when I was in college. I held 4:53 per mile that day for nearly 5 miles. Pace sustainment is one of the biggest challenges we face as runners. So, it is essential that we continue to work on our speed development. The 8km race distance is highly anaerobic. Of course, there are also some aerobic components to the race as well.
You definitely need both endurance as well as speed to run a fast 8km time. My top recommendation is to be patient. Remember, it takes about 21 days to 4 weeks for the body to adapt to any stress being placed on it. So, you definitely do not want to be in a rush. I would run easy and relaxed for 4 weeks before starting a 8k or 5-mile training plan. I have created 8k training plans here that range in length from 8 weeks to 24 weeks.
Is 8 KM Equal to 5 Miles?
It is about as close to 5 miles as you can get. Remember, 8km to miles comes out to 4.97097 to be exact. So, 8m road or cross-country races are considered 5 miles. It is so close to the distance we commonly think of it as 5 miles. I would highly recommend investing in a heart rate monitor as you train. The reason is these tools will ensure you are not running too fast or too slow.
More importantly, you can focus on running at the proper heart rates rather than paces. Your splits will take care of themselves the fitter you get. Also, your heart will not have to work as hard. 8 kilometer to miles is about 5 miles but is also 8,000 meters in length. It s the equivalent to running 20 laps around the track. The longest track event is the 10,000 meters which is 6.2 miles or 10 kilometers.
CHECK OUT OUR RUNNING COURSESHow Many Kilometers Makes 1 Mile?
There are 1.6 kilometers in a mile or 0.62 miles in 1 kilometer. The end goal for runners is to improve their lactate tolerance. The result is you will be able to sustain your goal 8k race pace longer. In addition, be able to clear lactic acid faster than it is building up. 8km to miles is basically 5 miles.
The way we do this is by conducting faster, anaerobic training. The athlete should be doing at least 1, vo2 max workout per week. We run between 95 to 100% of our max heart rate at this intensity. The results of doing these types of workouts is that your goal 8k race pace will feel easier.
Examples of vo2 max workouts are strength training or cross-fit exercises. In addition, tempo runs, fartlek run workouts, hill repetitions or speed intervals. What has been the longest tempo run you have done in the past training for your 8k races? 2 miles? 3 miles? I would work to extend that out to around 7 to 8 miles. Of course, you will first need to adapt to a 2 to 3-miler before moving to 7 to 8. The good news is that the body always adapts.
World Record for 8KM Run
The world record for 5 miles was set by Ethiopia's Deriba Merga who ran a time of 21:51. Merga held 4:23 per mile for the 4.97 miles or 2:43 per kilometer for each, 8 consecutive kilometer. Of course, this record can be broken. For example, the world record for the half-marathon was set by Uganda's Joseph Kiplimo who ran a time of 57:31. Kiplimo's pace was 4:23 per mile for 13.1 miles or 2:43 per kilometer for 21.1 kilometers.
So, Kiplimo basically held the world record pace for 8km for 21.1 kilometers. I am sure that if he aimed to break the 8k world record he would more than likely run much faster than 21:51. The women's 8k world record was set by Kenya's Mary Keitany who ran a time of 24:30. Mary held 4:55 per mile for 5 miles or 3:03 kilometer pace for her 8 kilometers.
8 KM Per Hour in Miles
8 kph comes out to 4.97 miles per out. Again, the pace you cover the distance will be dependent on how well conditioned you are. Higher mileage is not an absolute guarantee you will set a new personal best. Remember, slow mileage will only make you a superior long, slow runner. Of course, your goal may not be time based. 8km to miles is 8,000 meters in length. So, your goal may be an all-out effort or to run, walk or run-walk the distance.
Perhaps, you are just aiming to start and finish your first 8km race. The vast majority of runners have time goals in mind though. I am sure after you have run your first 5 mile race you will want to run an even faster time later. I highly recommend doing strides twice per week. Strides are great because they are short and do not build up large amounts of lactic acid.
So, you can do these types of short acceleration sprints on top of your other workouts. I would do 2, 5-6x100m strides twice per week during before, during or after your easy runs. Or, you can do these prior to the start of your speed intervals, tempo runs or long runs.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PRIVATE, MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITYIs Running 8 KM Per Hour Good
8 km per hour is basically running at 14 minute mile pace. You still need some general fitness to run at this pace. Of course, most people can walk at this pace. The faster we train the more oxygen is required. So, anaerobic training coupled with easy, aerobic running will help you to run a faster 8km race. Again, 8km to miles is 4.97 miles or 8,000 meters.
I am also a big believer in doing faster, varied paced long runs. I see far too many runners running too slow, too often. The result is they have problems sustaining their goal race paces. So, it is not a lacking of motivation for these athletes. It is simply they need to train more often at faster paces. Also, they need to slow down during their easy days.
The days to focus on what pace per mile or pace per kilometer you are running at is during your faster workouts. Easy days are meant to be easy so you can recover. Remember, the benefits of your hard training are going to come within the rest cycle. So, the benefits of the hard training you are doing today will be seen several weeks and months from now,
Mental Visualization
Mental training is commonly bypassed by most runners. We focus so much of our attention on physical training that we fail to realize this. The world's best runners combine both mental as well as physical training together. Remember, we need to prepare our minds equally as much as we prepare our bodies. So, start seeing yourself crossing the finish line in your goal time.
The best time to conduct mental training is before you go to bed at night. Also, when you first get up in the morning. It is very important to realize that our goals have to start in the mind before they can ever become reality. The good news is that it does take more than 10 minutes daily to do this. So, make this a part of your training routine and you will see significant results. I credit mental training in helping me run 2:19 for the marathon.
Closing Thoughts
I hope that this post has been helpful to you. Again, 8km to miles comes out to 4.97 miles. So, we are running just shy of the 5 mile distance but very close to it. 8 kilometers is 8,000 meters or 20 laps around the track. Be sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I focus on creating at least 2 to 3 new videos there weekly.
More importantly, to help assist runners of all capabilities to surpass their fitness and racing goals. I look forward to hearing about your new and upcoming personal bests. The 8km race distance is still my favorite. You definitely need to focus on speed work as well as endurance for this event. Proper pacing is also vital. So, do not try to win this race in the first mile.
I would not try to make a move in this race until you pass the 2-mile point in the race. I would get out aggressive the first 200 meter and then settle into your pace. Focus all your energy on running the second half of this race faster than you run the first half. Remember, aiming for a negative split is always best. You will be far less likely to go into oxygen debt because you did not go out too fast.
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